Sunday: Buc-Mets Finale, Glasnow v Matt Harvey, Lineup, Notes

Tonight: The Mets and Bucs finish up the series at 8:00 with a rubber match in PNC Park. It’s a rare Sunday evening booking as the contest is ESPN‘s Sunday Night Game with radio coverage on 93.7 The Fan. Kids 14-and-under will get a Pirates beach towel, compliments of Coke. It’s forecast to be a little dark and stormy night, so the towels should come in handy.

Lineup: Adam Frazier LF, Josh Harrison 2B, Josh Bell 1B, Gregory Polanco RF, David Freese 3B, Cutch CF, Fran Cervelli C, Jordy Mercer SS & Tyler Glasnow P. Since it’s night game, the usual Sunday lineup shuffle is not in effect.

Pitchers: Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 6.69) closes the set against Matt Harvey (3-3, 5.36). Tyler tossed it pretty well against Atlanta in his last outing (two runs in six IP) and went 3-for-3 to boot. He’s getting his walks under control, although he does have a five-game home run streak that he’d like to shake as he continues to take small steps toward holding his own in the rotation. He’s never faced the Mets. Harvey has a had a bumpy ride with NY in a couple of ways and hasn’t made it through the sixth in his past five starts after a pretty good April. A little patience at the dish should bring the Met bullpen into play sooner rather than later. Considering yesterdays pitcher-burning, how far into the game either starter can go might be tonight’s key. Harvey is 0-1/5.29 in three starts against the Bucs, but he hasn’t seen them since 2015.

Notes:

• J-Hay has a nine-game hitting streak goin’ on.
• Last night the Pirates won when trailing after eight innings for the second time in four games and for the third time this season. The Pirates won a total of three games when trailing after eight innings last year.
• Per Elias Sports: The last Pirate to tie a game in the ninth and then walk off in the 10th was Al Oliver against Houston on May 1st, 1977; it took JJ 40 years to replicate the feat.
• Jamo tossed three innings in his first rehab stint since cancer surgery. He fanned six and gave up a hit & a walk in three innings/47 pitches for Altoona.

• Austin Meadows is starting to figure it out at Indy. He had his fourth straight multi-hit day (and sixth in seven games) and has reached base safely in his last 17 outings.
• The Astros put Charlie Morton (5-3, 4.06) on the DL with a lat strain. In 10 big-league campaigns, Ground Chuck has finished the year north of 25 starts/150 IP just twice.
• Alex Presley was recalled by the Tigers.
• The blog Everything Bluebirds posts the Frankie Liriano has to learn to pitch to catchers not named Russ Martin. Kinda interesting POV.
• Jim Bunning died Saturday at 85. Bunning pitched for the Pirates from 1968-69 and in a 17-year Hall-of-Fame career threw no-hitters in both leagues including a perfect game. After retirement, he became a Kentucky congressman and senator, so Jim packed a lot of juice into those 85 years.